Newly-elected President of Rugby Africa Herbert Mensah has sounded alarm that unless African government and corporates invest in African rugby, the running of the sport may soon be taken over by foreigners.

Speaking in Marrakesh, Morocco, after taking over the reins to manage the increasingly popular sports in Africa, Mensah, a Ghanaian said during an interview with African news channel Africa24 on Africa Investment Forum, said the African sport is ripe for investment, citing the achievements of South Africa, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwean successes on the global scene.

Excerpt: “The best athletes in the world are from Africa, whether they are playing for France or for England or for whoever, you find so many Africans, and I think it sends the message that we are the best. If we get the right investment, we can show consistently that we are world-beaters.

“Africa has already shown they have the greatest sportsman. Go to the NBA, people of African extract dominant: Ngannou, Usman… it goes on and on. If it is from the UFC, is it boxing, I don’t have to speak,. If it is long distance runners, go to East Africa, it will be a Kenyan, a Somali, an Ethiopian, a Ugandan, who will win at the Olympics this year. If it is football, I’ve already explained. So Africa has what the rest of the world does not have. My point is that we need to get the investment into Africa now.

“If you don’t invest now you will find somebody from Europe from America from China coming to own what is yours. It will be like God gave you the gold but you don’t have the gold Refinery, you have the Coco but you have no Chocolate Factory, you have the oil but not the best oil refineries.

Talking about investment, World Rugby pays up to $5 billion to each European rugby nation to promote the sport, while the entire African continent received just $2.5 million (for 39 countries), which limits the promotion of the sport on the continent. But the price of an air ticket from Dakar to Madagascar is maybe $1,500, in Europe from Rome to London, Paris to London, maybe 60 dollar…”.

• A Tell report